The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-29
FroiM ne PhiladelpAia Times.

From the Philadelphia Time,
AUGUSTA, GA, Dec. ESQ far as the
negro race is concerned, the coming census
will be an exceedingly interesting one. mas
much as it will rnquestonably dispel the
popular delusion that the colored man is
progressing and increasing; and hence il
may probably set people thinking as to how
the condition of this people may be really
improved. As to their progress we who live
in the very midst of the negro population
know that it is decidedly more retrograde
than otherwise; while the mortuary reports
published il the newspapers show that the
death rate is double, treble and often even
still larger, that of the whites. The census
OF 1860 was to great extent speculative, on
account OF the chaotic condition Of affairs
at that period; but the strength of the race
was undoubtedly underestimated. Hence
the apparent increase in the following GEN.
sus, and hence also the fallacy that the ne
gro population is largely increasing"
The gentleman whose remarks are quoted
above has been, ever since the close of the
civil war, large planter in Scriven county,
Georgia, and in support of his statement as
TO an undoubted decrease in population
among the negioes, he continued:
here, on my place, there were formerly
eighty negroes-to-day there are only twot
My neighbor, Major Gibbons, Massachu
sets gentleman, had some 400; the Wades
and the Joneses had some 300 each; the Her.
r1ngtons, 100; the BoStcks, over the Sayau-
nah river, some 700, and the Martins about
800. Where are they all to-day2 Why, on
the plantations referred to there is hardly
to be found negro to hitch up ones horse.
Many wandered off into other States after
freedom, but numbers of them returned,
broken down from hardships, to. die within
sight of the wrecks of the homes they de-
serted. In place of our old time negroes
we have wandering tribes of thriftless wo-
men and young men, who will rather endure
hunger for days than do an hours
honest work to earn good square meal
This state of affairs is not confined
to this neighberhood. 1t obtains to a
greater or less extent, almost everywhere in
this and other negro States. But what can
be donel There seems to be no remedy for
It. Ii hire negro to do days work for
me in nire out of ten cases he will ask me
for his 'rations' in advance, or money to
buy food with on the plea of desperate
poverty. If give him this food or money
the chances are nine to one that the man
will never turn up'to do the work or that
shall hear of his working in somebody else's
field who was not quite so easy with him as
was. Andyet we have not the shadow cf
a law by which | can hold such a rascal
responsible Our statutes do not recognize
that this species of trickery is obtaining
either money, food or goods under false
pretenses."
Even to one who visits this part Of the
world after many years of absence it is
patent that the negro population is changed
and decimated-more than decimated. In
place Of the respectful. unsophisticated old
''uncles" and ''auntleS" are to be found a
few darkies, Who's main object appears to
be to vlct1nlize, In some manner or another.
the white man. Give negro man Job of
hoaing, for instance, and you must literally
stand by bin the greater part of the time
he is doing it, in order TO insure
its being done anything like prop
erly, or often done at all. Give
negro woman job of washing,
and if you fail to look after her sharply she
win spoil what of the clothing she does not
steal. Rascality seems to be a component
Tart of the nature of the country negro of
to-day--if not of his city brethren-while
his roaming, unsettled manner of life would
almost indicate that Numidian blood runs
in the veins of the West African darkey. or
that they servilely and faithfully initiate
the nomadic trait of the people of Nu-
india, for a country darkey is here to-day
and miles off to-morrow-at least many of
them.
There are, of course, some reliable negroes
remaining in this quarter of the world; but
these are few and they are scattered over a
wide area. They are mostly farming on
their own account, and by no means object
to making the admission that their success
in life is dne to having been kept in strict
discipline by the white man. The negroes
of Western and Southern Africa, the writer
knows, from actual observation among
tz%~, Ens., l.. - \
rect antitheses of the average negro of the
present generation. This would seem to in
dictate that our civilization does not agree
with them. The religion of the negro of to-
day is hysteria. 1t has no more beneficial
effect on their mode of life than has the
hooting of an OWL What seems to be
needed badly by this peculiar race is the
discovery of some unknown system of
moral ethics which would enforce honesty
upon the males and honesty and chastity
upon the females. Until this shall have
been found they will remain Improbable
servants. Their notions of morality are
such as cannot be contemplated without
shudder. Their religious rites are farce
and too often filthy and blasphemous
burlesque upon the rites of which they are
odious limitations. Such, however, is their
condition here, but with city congregations
the case may be slightly different.
1t is evident to all who live among the
negroes of the country that those labor and
other organizations whose agents are visit
ing the South and enrolling negro members
are committing grave error, although
such societies may firmly believe that they
are doing good work The negroes regard
this proceeding with actual contempt, for
they abhor, III their heart Of hearts, every
attempt at fraternity with the white man
as cordially as they despise the authors
of such attempts. Nature has given
them little in common with US. and they ask
for as little as possible. Some intelligent,
industrious negroes rise TO certain degrees
of eminence as police court lawyers. They
can talk and are usually shrewd at subter-
fuges and shallow points. But it seems an
absolute impossibility TO make even fair
mechanics or arti-ans Of them. They are
admirably good Gibeonites - hewers of
wood and drawers of water-when they
are made TO work. but it is clear that the
curse on Canaan still hovers over them, inn
peding their progress to be other than SER
wants Of servants to their brethren
a movement is going Oh among the
negroes of Southeastern Georgia and South
Carolina for wholesale emigration to
Florida, and no reasoning can b. Lrought to
bear against it. Several years ago large
numbers went to Kansas. Most of them re-
turned, however, nearly starved. Then
Texas was their objective point for expe-
dition number two. Some VINO went there
are still in the clutches Of the law of the